


Alexandros' 8th birthday

by 29k



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23924449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/29k/pseuds/29k
Summary: Alexandros is growing up, faster than his father expected. Based around Alexandros' and Tanith's 8th bday.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	Alexandros' 8th birthday

**Author's Note:**

> There's a whole long background about how these characters came about, but instead of explaing I'll just say this - Thanks to my friends in the PJO FB RP all those years ago who helped develop the extensive backgrounds and characterizations of some of the minor characters in Greek Myth and the PJO series.

Alexandros awoke with a start and sat up suddenly, his heart was pounding. He looked around the dark room, his eyes making out the outlines of items in his room. His dresser, desk, chair, shield all in the same places as when he had gone to bed. There was nothing out of place, nothing looming over him, nothing to be afraid of . He was safe in his room, protected in his home, up on Mt. Olympus, well away from mortals and their monsters.

  
He considered for a brief moment going and waking his mother up for a hug, but no, he was nearly 8, he was too old for that. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, and upon deciding a glass of water was needed, swung his legs out of bed and crept quietly across his room to the door. He peered into the hall, thankful for the night light, and crept down the hall towards the kitchen, not wanting to wake his sister or mother.  
He reached up and flipped the light switch on as he reached the kitchen and hummed to himself (not because the quiet was unnerving, no, not at all) as he picked a glass and filled it with water. He looked around the kitchen as he drank the water, trying to take his mind off of the dream he'd been having and trying to ignore the shadows he swear were moving in the corner of his eye.

  
He yawned and placed the now empty glass on the counter and walked towards the doorway when he heard a noise coming from the other end of the hall.Alexandros quickly flicked off the light and grabbed the nearest weapon, a kitchen knife, and stood in the kitchen shadows, waiting. Footsteps came closer...they didn't sound like his sister's or mother's. He stood, holding his breath, ready to pounce and as the shadow of the creature appeared, cast by the night light, he realised it definitely wasn't his sister and his mother wasn't that tall. The creature walked closer to the kitchen and as it walked through the doorway, Alexandros pounced, stabbing the creature in the midsection....but the knife didn't even pierce the skin. The kitchen light flicked on and Alexandros looked up at his father, who was looking at him with a look of amusement on his face.

  
"Good morning to you too son. Nice to see you are taking this man of the house business seriously, but stainless steel won't hurt anyone but mortals."

  
"I know, but I uh...panicked"

  
Phobos frowned "I need to find more time to spend with you if that is the case." He crouched down so he was eye to eye with Alexandros. "You are radiating fear and not in the way I do. Having you not been sleeping well?"  
Alexandros looked down at the ground "I have been having...dreams"

  
Phobos put his finger gently under Alexandros' chin and tilled his head up so Alexandros was looking at him again. "It is nothing to be ashamed of. All my children go through this phase, and I thought maybe there would be a few more years before you reached this stage. But I guess not." Phobos looked thoughtfully at his son "I'll tell you what, I'll try to be home a bit more so I can teach you how to.." Phobos paused, searching for the appropriate word "...control fear, and if I can't , then maybe your uncle could stop by."

  
Alexandros looked at his father, trying not to let the surprise show. He thought surely his father would be disappointed in what was clearly a weakness. No child of Phobos should be scared and panic...

  
Phobos sighed "Do you know what has been going in the world lately?" Alexandros nodded and Phobos continued "Your uncle and myself appear to have upset some of the gods, especially a certain sun god. Deimos and I...we need to lay low in the daytime for a little while to avoid him. But as you know Ap...the sun god has a short attention span and he will turn his mind to something else soon enough. Then I can be at home more."

Phobos ruffled Alexandros' hair and stood up. "Will you be alright to see yourself back to bed? It is nearly sunrise…"

  
"Yeah, I'll be ok."

  
"Good." Another quick ruffle of the hair and Phobos started walking to the front door.

Alexandros watched him then and then called out "Wait!"

  
Phobos turned to look at Alexandros, as Alexandros quickly ran over. "It is my birthday on Monday. Will you be there?"

  
"After sunset, I promise." And with that Phobos turned and left, leaving Alexandros staring into the shadows.

\---

The next few days flew by and before Alexandros knew it, it was his birthday. Well his and his twin half-sister Tanith's, they were turning eight. Their mother, Cassandra, had organised a party for them, inviting a few friends they'd made at school over for fun and party games.

  
The next few hours was filled with laughter and the odd scream, especially when the kids decided to turn the traditional game of 'Pin the snake on Medusa' into 'Let's throw weapons blindfolded at Medusa'. Once Cassandra managed to find all of her kitchen knives - 'Some of these kids would stand no chance against Medusa' she thought as she removed a knife from a tree some 10 feet to the left of the picture - everyone gathered around for dinner and cake.

Cassandra smiled to herself as she watched her two children chat away to their friends - She had been worried at first with how they would fit in up on Mt Olympus given they were essentially demigods. But, despite a few gods and goddesses openly showing their displeasure over demigods being allowed to live up on Mt Olympus and whispers of "Have you _seen_ their mother? You should hear some of the tales she spins!", the twins had made some good friends who didn't care that they were the children of minor gods and a mortal.

Eventually, when everyone had full stomachs and the children were starting to show signs of tiredness, the guests left, leaving Cassandra, Tanith, Tanith's father Priapus (who had joined the party in time for dinner), and Alexandros to enjoy the quiet of the evening. For the first time that day, Alexandros felt a pang of sadness that his father wasn't there, as he watched Tanith unwrap her gifts from Priapus and, after a squeal of delight, got up and hugged her father as tightly as she could. Alexandros used the distraction of Tanith's excitement to sneak outside into the front yard. He checked the time, 7:45pm, and he knew the sun was setting in the next few minutes. He made himself comfy on a patch of grass and waited, watching as the orange sky tones changed into red, then into shades of purple. After 15 minutes, Cassandra came out to Alexandros after watching him carefully for a few minutes.

  
"Alex...ἀγαπητός...what are you doing out here? Has something upset you?"

  
Alexandros looked up at his mother, looking at the concern that clearly showed on her face. "I'm waiting for dad...he said he would be here. After the sunset."

  
Cassandra frowned and tried to think of a way to carefully let her son down. Phobos hadn't mentioned stopping by on the twins' birthday. She wasn't even sure if Phobos knew it was today. She decided not to let Alexandros down just yet.  
"Ok. Do you want a blanket to keep warm? I don't want you getting sick"

  
"No, I'll be ok μήτηρ . I'm sure he won't be much longer. Look, the sky is getting darker!" Alexandros pointed to the sky, where stars had started to appear and the crescent moon glowed against the darkening backdrop.

  
Cassandra gave a soft smile and leaned down to kiss her son on his head. "If you need me, I'll be just inside, ok?"

  
"Ok"

  
Cassandra walked back to the house and gave a final glance at Alexandros, who was still watching the stars and the moon as they shone above him.

Alexandros sat watching as Venus, the brightest star he could see tonight, moved towards the horizon and the constellation of Orion began to set. Twilight was truly setting in now and Alexandros started to wonder if his father had remembered about today. He sighed and stood up to go into the house, when he spotted a figure walk in the front gate and up the path to the house. As they walked up the path, past one of the torches lighting the way, Alexandros caught a glimpse of his father's face and ran over to him. Phobos, hearing the footsteps, stopped and looked at him.

  
"What are you doing out here?"

  
"Well..um..Tanith and Priapus are inside, so I thought I'd...I'd come out and wait for you"

  
Phobos gave a rare smile at that, knelt down to Alexandros and pulled his son in for a hug. "I wouldn't have forgotten you" It was as though his father knew exactly what had been troubling Alexandros.  
Finally Phobos broke the hug, stood up, and took Alexandros' hand and led him to the porch, where he sat on the stairs and patted beside him, indicating for Alexandros to sit too. Alexandros watched as Phobos pulled out a box he had been concealing under his jacket and handed it to Alexandros. Alexandros opened the box and carefully pulled out a throwing axe, marvelling as it shone in the light.

  
"Cass...your mother said you had been trying to use a bow and arrow lately, but weren't having much luck. You will never have much luck with bows because...because of simply who your parents are. But you have good aim, I've seen that for myself. So I thought maybe a set of throwing axes would be your style. I had them made light and strong for you."

Alexandros carefully checked out the axe as Phobos spoke and put it carefully in the box.  
"You had these made for me?"

  
"Of course. You are growing up and you need weapons suited for your own strengths. Speaking of which, I have a second present...but I need you to keep it a secret from your mother."

  
Alexandros watched as Phobos pulled out a black jewellery box. Inside was a bronze necklace, with a pendant attached- The pendant was round, about an inch wide and had a lion's head engraved on both sides.

  
Phobos handed the box to Alexandros "You've heard of Gods giving their children special items, haven't you?"

  
"I have. Is this one?" Alexandros replied.

  
"It is. I've had this one for a long time now. After we spoke the other day, I knew it was time for you to have this." Phobos picked the necklace up and placed it around Alexandros' neck.

  
"Try holding the pendant, thinking of a weapon and then give the pendant a tug" Alexandros did as his father instructed, holding his right hand around the pendant, thinking of a sword and then tugged the pendant. To his surprise, the pendant came off the necklace and turned into a celestial bronze sword.

Alexandros turned the sword, looking at the glow coming off of it. "Wow. This is the sword I pictured. And it is perfectly weighted" Alexandros turned to look at Phobos "Is this like grandfather's sword?"

  
Phobos nodded "But can be disguised as jewelry. If you hold the handle to the chain, it'll change back into a pendant." Alexandros again followed his father's instructions and the weapon vanished. "And until I train you more, I would like it to stay as a pendant unless you truly need to defend yourself. And I'd like your mother just to think it is a necklace too."

  
Alexandros nodded "I understand. Does it have a name? I know some weapons do"

  
Phobos gave a small smile "It does. The first son who had this weapon, thousands of years ago now, he named it ἀδεής"

  
Alexandros interrupted "Fearless?"

  
"Exactly. Now let's go inside. Is there any cake left?" Phobos rose to his feet, with Alexandros following. Alexandros picked up his box of throwing axes, Phobos put an arm around his shoulders and they walked into the house.

  
Cassandra looked up as they walked in "μέλισσα! I'm glad you made it." She came over and greeted Phobos with a kiss. She looked at Alexandros and the box he was carrying. "What do you have there?"

  
"Dad gave me some throwing axes"

  
Cassandra raised an eyebrow "Does that mean you'll stop using my kitchen knives?"

  
Alexandros looked surprised "How did you know I did that?"

  
Phobos shook his head "Kid, mothers always know. Now where's the cake?"

  
Alexandros, Phobos, and Cassandra walked over to rejoin Tanith and Priapus, to enjoy what remained of the twins' birthday.


End file.
